Chef Amalia Scatena of Cannon Green
by Stacy Huggins
When asked how she ended up here, Chef Amalia Scatena said, “We found each other, I feel like.”
Charleston residents Anne and Dave Dabney were planning their wedding at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia, a stunning property owned by Dean P Andrews and Lynn Easton of Easton Porter Hospitality Group. Scatena was the Executive Chef.
Shortly thereafter, the Dabneys, Easton, and Andrews joined forces to open Cannon Green; this gem of a restaurant and venue is nestled in the Cannonborough neighborhood of downtown Charleston. When they approached Scatena to take the helm of this new venture, she was more than happy to oblige. Scatena had been traveling back and forth to Charleston for years helping open Zero George, another Eastern Porter property, and had completely fallen in love with the city.
Cannon Green is both a full-service restaurant and an event venue. When you enter the restaurant from Spring Street, the space opens into a glorious, expansive dining room filled with verdant plants in every nook that complement the clean, green and white aesthetic. Three huge paintings by local artists Teil Duncan, Lulie Wallace, and Blakely Little hang on the right, and the façade of an old house is a surprising focal point on the left. This remnant of the building’s former life makes you feel like you’re sitting outside even when you’re in.
The soaring bar and two-story windows naturally draw you towards the back, where the restaurant opens onto the most magical patio. Flanked by palm trees, exotic greenery, and chic fountains, the courtyard feels like an instant vacation. Beyond you’ll find the Trolley Room, where weddings, dinners, and functions of all kinds are executed flawlessly while dinner service carries on, business as usual, in the main dining room.
Scatena still travels back to Virginia often and finds the change of scenery keeps her inspiration fresh. “You don’t have time to get bored in any way,” she says. The urban oasis setting of Cannon Green is just as magical and inspirational for Scatena. “At night, during sunset, it’s so awesome…you can’t help but be pumped about what you’re doing every day,” she says.
PESCATARIAN’S DELIGHT
“In a nutshell, my inspiration would be sitting by the seaside Mediterranean, enjoying a cool, fun, refreshing cocktail and a very pure dish—crudo fresh off the boat with ligurian olive oil or a salad with local greens that were dropped off that morning. It’s fresh and clean…you leave ready to hit the town,” and not head home in a food coma. “I think you can satisfy people without making them feel like they need Lipitor after they eat,” she quips. The Red Snapper Crudo is the perfect summation of Scatena’s culinary artistry, complemented by the wine and cocktail program crafted by Manager Justin Edgar.
Brunch has some Latin influences that set Cannon Green’s menu apart from the typical fare you find elsewhere and “fun, brunch-y cocktails;” plus there’s the massive benefit of enjoying the impeccable surroundings during the daylight. “You’re sitting outside in the courtyard, and it can’t get any better. Your entire table is filled with drinks, fresh juices, homemade Bloody Mary’s, shrimp and grits, prosciutto with asparagus and egg, and French toast.”
CULINARY EXPLORER
Like many chefs, Scatena prefers to eat out rather than cook in her down time. She revels in trying other Charleston restaurants, particularly The Park Café and WildFlour Pastry, or walking downtown to do a little shopping. She doesn’t get to brunch often because she’s working herself, but she thinks highly of the brunch at The Macintosh and Chef Jeremiah Bacon. “He was one of the first chefs that was very welcoming…it’s a good community of people here,” she continues, “all the dinners I’ve done collaborating with other chefs have been a blast. I was a part of the Bad Bitches dinner series, and met such fun people through that.”
Growing up in an Italian family, Scatena came to cooking early on.“I wanted to be a chef ever since I was able to think about what I wanted to do…I was in the kitchen with my family, read cookbooks as a little kid. Culinary school was the obvious choice after high school.” On the other end of that very intentional spectrum, Scatena’s brother Bill has the total opposite story line. He fell into cooking, “and was naturally a bad ass,” she says. He was her Sous Chef at Pippin Hill, and when Scatena accepted the position here, he stepped into the role of Executive Chef at Pippin Hill. “We’re very different, so that’s what makes it work and be very successful,” she says. “My parents live outside of Napa, so when we get the chance to all visit together, it’s a great time.” Naturally, when this family gets together, they eat very well.
DINNER AND A SHOW
If you have a big group, opt for the Chef’s Table at Cannon Green, which can accommodate up to 18 people on a balcony that overlooks both the restaurant and the courtyard. Scatena delights in crafting the prix-fixe menu for each group, designed with your input. Appetizers and dessert are served plated while the entrée is served family-style. It’s the perfect setting for dinner with friends before a show at Woolfe Street Playhouse or a concert at Charleston Music Hall.
Chef Amalia Scatena’s cuisine is an artistically inspired expression of the freshest culinary magic and deserves a standing ovation.
TREAT YOURSELF!
Happy Hour is Tuesday – Friday, 5-7 PM
Tuesdays you can get $2 Tacos
Wednesday features $9 sliders
Enjoy dinner Tuesday-Saturday and Sunday Brunch.
Cannon Green
103 Spring Street, Charleston
cannongreencharleston.com
843.817.7311
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